Standpipes are rigid pipes used in firefighting to deliver water to high floors. Wet standpipes are always filled with water and dry ones need to be charged externally. Standpipes can also refer to public water sources, basement flood control pipes, and washing machine drains.
In firefighting contexts, pedestals are hollow, rigid pipes that can be used to send water into buildings. These pipes are typically installed during construction and can be wet or dry. Wet standpipes always contain water and can be used by sprinkler systems or building occupants, while dry versions must be charged by a fire engine. In either case, in-building connections can allow a firefighter to connect a hose directly to the desired floor. Standpipe can also refer to a number of other objects, such as public fresh water sources, pipes used in basement flood control, and washing machine drains.
The term “channel” can refer to a number of different items around the world, although in the United States it is most often used in reference to a component found in fire suppression systems. In this context, the standpipe is a rigid pipe system that can send water to areas of a building that may be difficult to reach, such as high floors. When a building has many floors, carrying a fire hose up multiple flights of stairs can present several problems, such as kinks on each landing, which can impede the flow of water. Because standpipes can deliver pressurized water to the upper floors of a building, many of these problems can be eliminated.
There are two main types of standpipes that can be found in fire systems. Wet standpipes always contain water and are often used with sprinklers. Some of these systems even allow a building’s occupants to hook up a hose and battle a fire until professional firefighters arrive.
The other type of standpipe fire suppression system is referred to as dry-type because it must be externally charged. These often have conjoined connections to the exterior ground floor of a building to which fire engines can connect. Water is then delivered throughout the system so that personnel can enter the building and fight the fire.
Standpipe can also refer to a number of other elements in different contexts. One type of standpipe is common in areas with no internal plumbing, where they are typically located in public spaces and contain a faucet so people can get fresh water. Standpipes can also be used for flood control in situations where a sewer is likely to back up. If interior drains have vertical pipes, sewage fluids can fill the pipe instead of covering the floor of the house. Washing machines may also use standpipes, which are usually designed to connect directly to a drain line.
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